If we can put a man on the moon, two rovers on Mars, order flowers on line, order cable movies into our homes, then WHY can't we order the cable stations we want when we want them?
TimeWarner offers "packages" whereby shows such as MTV, VH-1, Shopping Channel, ESPN, Gourmet, Golf, etc are bundled into a package.
Certainly we have the technology to have a system whereby a cable subscriber can order (and be billed for) specific channels they select to come into their home.
In effect, subscribers subsidize MTV, Shopping network, Viacom, GE etc.
C-Band satellite (the old-style big ugly dish) worked this way. You could subscribe to channels a la carte.